A gamble worth takingOn a tight budget but your talent pool is shallow? The Astros have sought to solve the dilemma by becoming a frequent shopper on the waiver wire

ZACHARY LEVINE, Copyright 2011 Houston Chronicle |
February 23, 2011

After being a waiver-wire addition in 2009 and working himself into a key eighth-inning role in 2010, righthander Wilton Lopez enters the Astros' 2011 training camp as a much counted upon fixture in the bullpen.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — To use a cliché and call baseball’s waiver wire a “bargain basement” is probably a disservice to those clothing items that are simply out of season or last year’s models.

At an operating price of $20,000 — roughly one-seventh or one-eighth the price of a slotted fifth-round draft pick — the waiver wire is more like baseball’s “as is” section.

Since the beginning of Ed Wade’s tenure as general manager, the Astros have been active snoopers on these shelves. Heading into the fourth spring training of Wade’s administration, the club has definitely found some things that fit.

The Astros brought to spring training seven players from the 40-man roster who were originally acquired off waivers. An eighth waiver pickup is a non-roster invitee.

In that group will be an eighth-inning man in Wilton Lopez, who emerged in that role last year and led the majors by allowing only one of his 34 inherited runners to score.

In that group could be another setup man such as Jeff Fulchino or Alberto Arias, who had stellar 2009 seasons after being claimed but will need to recover from ineffectiveness and injury, respectively.

In that group could even be a starter. Righthander Nelson Figueroa sparkled in 10 starts last year and has the inside track to regaining that role.

“Our pro scouting staff does a tremendous job all year long in putting ourselves in position to evaluate talent,” Wade said. “In the case of Wilton Lopez, Fulchino, Bourgeois, any number of guys wearing our uniform right now, it’s a direct result of the work our pro scouting staff does.”

The process of the $20,000 waiver claim is one of the most complex in baseball’s large breadth of transactions.

Balancing act

When a player hits waivers, usually because there is no more room for him or no more use for him on his team’s 40-man roster, there’s a good chance the Astros already have a scouting report on him.

In the modern evaluation spectrum between statistics and the eye test, it’s a balance.

The numbers provide a start, but according to Charlie Norton, who serves as the Astros’ director of baseball research and pro scouting coordinator, “we rely heavily on what the scout feels and their passion and commitment to the player.”

If a need exists and room on the roster exists, the Astros will place a claim. It is not a priority to be first in the 48-hour waiver window with the claim. If multiple teams submit one, the player is claimed by the team that has the highest waiver priority by owning the worst record of the group.

The Astros then take on the player’s contract, which for most players is something at or near the minimum salary — currently set at $414,000.

It’s no big deal

Sew some new lettering on a uniform, and he’s an Astro.

Sometimes it can be refreshing, as was the case for Figueroa, who was given a chance to start regularly at the end of the year. It’s a chance he would not have gotten with the pitching-loaded Philadelphia Phillies.

“The player looks at it as an opportunity to show what he can do and as a fresh start,” Figueroa said.

Like Figueroa, Bourgeois is no stranger to the transactions page, but he said the quick change with no spring training to get ready is never a big deal.

“This is my sixth organization and my third big league team, so it’s nothing new for me to come on a new team,” Bourgeois said. “I just try to make the quick contribution.”